Our Fitness Blog

Should You Keep a Food Log

Most experts say it takes around six weeks to form a habit. It is important to many of us to establish certain habits to lose weight and stay in shape for the new year, and there are many effective ways to do this. Some people swear by the benefits of keeping a food log. A food log is a record of everything you eat each day, and many people feel that this record can give them an added boost in their journey to lose weight.

Put your diet into words

Keeping a hard copy of your diet can help you shed those excess pounds. It gives you a way to look back and see how you can improve. If you would have changed out a snack for something healthier or had something baked instead of fried. It is easier to see these healthier options when you have it in writing. There is also an accountability factor added to your routine. You can see what you ate for that day, and if there are any unnecessary calories or fat in your diet, they will be staring right back at you. The option to hide or deny certain foods that affect our diet is no longer available. We have the chance to eliminate many of our cheat factors using this process.

The proof

Many people who use a food log can attest that it works. They believe that the weight started coming off as soon as they starting keeping a record. Many scientists have studied the effect of keeping a food log and found mostly positive results. There is one study that showed that people who kept a food log were able to lose about double the weight of those who did not keep a food journal, and one of the most important results was that they were able to maintain this weight loss. These results just add some extra proof to the people considering to use a food log. This study emphasizes that they will start seeing benefits in no time and that these benefits will last.

It is up to you to determine if this technique will benefit you. However, the proven success of many should be enough to sway you. There is a chance that it will work wonders for you and your weight loss goals, and for many that fact alone is enough to get them started. You can always try it out, and if it does not give you the results that you want in a certain period of time, you could quit. I think that if one of your main goals for the new year was to lose weight that a food log would be an easy option to try that just might give you the results that you want.